Q: Denver’s running game has been the best (or close to) for most of the last 10 years, by using the zone blocking, one-cut running scheme. (Josh) McDaniels comes in and keeps the same line coaches, but I don’t see much “zone blocking, one-cut running” going on. The Broncos got just 75 yards Sunday. Why in the world would he want to change something that has worked so well for so long? And if the running game continues to be less than what it used to be, do you think he might relent and let those coaches do what they have done (again) so well for so long?

A: John, thanks for taking the time.

They are using, at least at the moment, a bit of a hybrid scheme. They have run some plays with zone principles in the preseason as well as training camp, and they will likely run them from time to time as well during the season.

But folks are going to have to get used to the idea this is a different offensive scheme.

It is one that features far more three wide-receiver sets than two backs and the blockers have to win more 1-on-1 battles up front rather than blocking in an area. They will also open the formation far more, moving the back out of the backfield and standing up the tight end out wide, far more than the Broncos did before 2008.

The Broncos ran far more out of the shotgun in open formations in ’08 — when they were mimicking what McDaniels had done in the New England offense — than they had previously in Mike Shanahan’s tenure as well.

So, really there had already been a bit of a transition last year to what the Broncos are doing now with McDaniels as head coach when Shanahan was still on the job. And it’s likely Shanahan would have played in similar fashion this year if he had stayed.

But overall, coaches stick to what they believe in, especially first-year coaches. They’ve installed everything in the offseason and drilled it over and over. It’s very difficult to switch that midstream and move on to something else.

So the Broncos will continue to try to get a run game going with what they’ve been doing within the scheme. And if they can make it productive when they need it to be, it will likely mean they have not won the battles on the line of scrimmage and the backs couldn’t get into a crease.

It will also be difficult for them to win if they can’t hold the ball long enough to keep the defense from being out on the field too long.

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